Break of Dawn
by Midnyght Saber
Summary: Finally tired of hiding behind the lies and 'fake-out make-outs', Danny encourages Sam to let go of the dam that they've had on their emotions and finally give into the love that they feel for one another, disregarding what anyone else may think.


**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc. "Nothing Else Matters" is the property of Metallica and Elektra Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

* * *

Sam's eyes fluttered open, the young girl smiling softly. Her parents were out of town for the week, her grandmother would still be asleep at this time of morning, and school had just ended for the summer the day before.

"Morning, Sam."

With a startled yelp, Sam fell out of the bed, a massive tangled heap of sheets and goth. Struggling out of the pile, her eyes fell on the one who'd surprised her. "What are you doing here, Danny? Shouldn't you still be passed out in _your_ room?"

Mischief shone in the youth's currently luminescent peridot eyes. "And miss out on making you scream like a _girl_? Nah. Besides, I _had_ to get up early." He motioned to the thermos on a newly-designed hip holster. "Duty called."

Sam smiled again as she stood, finally free of her bedding, and took the slightly chilled body of her friend into a hug. "Aww, wittle Danny had to go to da bafwoom," she cooed.

Danny pulled away, a look of utter bewilderment crossing his face until what she'd said clicked, and the pair fell into wild fits of laughter.

**So close, no matter how far**

**Couldn't be much more from the heart**

"Nice to see your sense of humor is still strong this early," Danny commented.

Sam smirked, then let go of Danny as she walked into her bathroom. "Out in fifteen."

A shower and a change of clothes later, Sam stepped out to find Danny patiently waiting, having plopped down onto her bed and hidden under the covers.

"Get off," she said to the lump that was lying under her sheets.

"Uh-uh," he answered. "Too comfy."

Sam sighed softly before dropping down onto the mattress next to Danny. "I'm glad that schools finally over."

"Welcome break?"

She nodded. "You have no idea."

"And here I was, thinking you enjoyed school."

"I do," she returned, "but there are a few things that I'm glad to be able to get away from. Lancer and his toenails, for one." Both teen cringed at the memory of the detention they'd served part of during the Circus Gothica incident. "Dash and his lackeys, Paulina, the snide comments – you know, the daily grind."

"Yeah," Danny replied, sitting up, brushing his snowy hair back out of his eyes. "Wait – what snide comments?"

"The ones about you and me being an item."

Danny's shoulders drooped. "You say that as if you don't like the idea of us…being together."

Sam looked up, eyes wide at what he had just implied, but then relaxed. "I told you before that I don't mind the idea. It's the publicity that gets me."

**Forever trusting who we are**

**And nothing else matters**

"I thought the opinions others have didn't control you. Why the change of heart?" Danny asked as he slid behind Sam, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"The thing that really gets me is them constantly debating on how long we'd last. It just…it seems like it would get to be really aggravating." Sam shook her head. "I don't like the idea of them betting on people's relationships. It's asinine and juvenile."

**Never opened myself this way**

**Life is ours, we live it our way**

"That shouldn't mean that we keep hiding our feelings, bottling up what it is that we truly feel about each other. Sooner or later, one of us is just…"

"Going to pop like an overfilled balloon," Sam finished.

Resting his head on her shoulder, Danny nuzzled into her neck. "How long have we been fighting this, Sam? Knowing that we liked each other? Now, sophomore year's come and gone…"

"And we're still acting clueless towards one another." Sam sighed, running her hands along his suited arms. "By the way, why haven't you turned human?"

Danny chuckled. "I didn't exactly get dressed before I headed out to go round up the Box Ghost."

Sam pulled away, reaching under the bed and pulling out a wrapped box. "Happy early birthday, then…I guess."

Danny smirked as he unwrapped the box. "So, gothing me out now?"

Sam motioned to his suit. "You don't look half-bad in black. Spandex, however, is another story."

"Oh, so now you're saying that superhero spandex is unfashionable?"

Sam nodded.

"You stink," he said as he walked into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Danny stepped out, his hair still slightly damp, in combat boots, black jeans emblazoned with silver flames, and a gray tee under a black pleather vest.

"Not bad, ghost boy," Sam stated, eyes scanning his figure.

"Not bad yourself," he returned. "I was expecting chains and chokers."

"You look good in black, not something out of a dominatrix parlor."

Bright azure met lavender, and the pair smiled.

**All these words, I don't just say**

**And nothing else matters**

Danny walked over to Sam, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "Thank you for the present, Sam. I like it."

Sam blushed. "You're welcome, you mushball."

"So, any plans for today?"

"Stay hidden away in my room."

"Worn out from finals or hiding from the world?"

"Both," she replied, "especially with you dressed like that."

Danny shook his head. "You need to get over yourself." Sitting down next to her, he took her into his arms, burying his nose into her hair, inhaling the intoxicating scent that was solely her. "Even goths can love sometimes, can't they, if they really feel that way about someone? Or are you afraid that acting like yourself for a change will break down the ideas that people have about you? That they'll question your attitude?"

Sam hung her head, leaning into his embrace. "You know I can love you, and you know that I do. I'm just…I'm scared of what they'll say, and even more of what they'll try to do to test us."

**Trust I seek, and I find in you**

**Every day for us, something new**

"The world isn't going to conform itself to fit your comfort zone, Sam."

"You think I don't realize that? I _am_ a goth, after all."

"I know that you don't want to accept it."

"Danny, I…" she began, but his hand pressed against her lips, silencing her.

"There will always be someone out there who will do whatever they can to cut you down, and they'll do it because they don't want to see you succeed where they failed. What they believe will never matter more than what _you_ feel is right. Sam, you have such little faith in yourself and who you truly are, but you still go out there and you tell others what you think. Do you ever wonder why so few listen? They can tell that you don't believe in yourself, and if you don't, why should they?"

**Open mind for a different view**

**And nothing else matters**

Sam blinked. "Is that why you've been going after Paulina and Valerie? Even though you and I…already acknowledged that we're…"

"Sort of," he answered softly. "I know that you and I are meant to be together, and so do you, but you do nothing to stop me or anyone else that shows an interest in me. All you do is get angry and storm off, and all that does is feed the rumors that you're jealous because someone stole me from you. I've only ever seen you stand up for us once, and that was with Valerie, but even then, you tried to cover up your real feelings."

**Never cared for what they do**

**Never cared for what they know**

**But I know**

Sam curled up into Danny's lap, snuggling against his chest.

"I don't care where the popular kids decide to rate us. I don't care what they want to say about us. They'll say anything to get a rise out of us – that one of us is seeing someone else on the side, that we're way more intimate than we should be at this age, or that one of us is just playing the other – and the more we let it get to us, the more they'll do it. Just ignore them like I intend to." Danny let his hands roam gently over her arm. "They don't know us, Sam, so who are they to judge us? Why should we let what they think bother us? Let the rumors fly. Let them have their fun, their gossip. All it does in the end is make them look like fools."

Tilting her head up, she saw the determination burning in his azure eyes, saw that he believed, to his core, in every word he'd just spoken. Standing, she took his hands in hers. "Let's go then."

**So close, no matter how far**

**Couldn't be much more from the heart**

Sam and Danny stepped out of her front door, Danny's vest swaying in the gentle summer breeze. "So, where to, Sam?"

"How's the park sound?"

"Good," he answered, then took Sam's hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

As they walked towards the park, they passed a few classmates who cast knowing glances their way, but Danny blew them off, squeezing Sam's hand in a silent signal for her to do the same.

**Forever trusting who we are**

**And nothing else matters**

Much to their mutual distaste, they got the park in time to see Dash, Paulina, and the rest of the popular kids headed their way.

"Just ignore them. I told you, their opinions don't matter."

Sam nodded and pulled Danny over to a bench to sit down. Having let him sit first, she plopped down next to him, promptly snuggling into him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Dash asked as he approached the couple.  
"Looks like loser love. How gross." Paulina tapped Danny, and he half-opened his eyes, wrapping an arm around Sam. "Shouldn't you two be, like, indoors? Or hiding from the sun or something?"

"Why should we be hiding when we could be out here, enjoying the day together? Isn't that what couples _do_?" he replied.

Paulina huffed. "Because your loser gothness is clouding up our perfect day."

Sam turned her head, regarding the group. "Then keep on walking. We've got as much a right to be here as you, and we're not leaving for your personal convenience."

All present were silent, not used to being so blatantly denied. With a huff and a 'Just you wait' from Dash, the group left.

**Never cared for what they do**

**Never cared for what they know**

**But I know**

Sam and Danny smiled at each other for a moment before Danny broke their silence. "See, what'd I tell you?"

Sam replied by planting a kiss on his nose. "I don't remember. Refresh my memory."

Danny chuckled, nuzzling into Sam's neck again. "You are so screwy sometimes, you know that?" He kissed her. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me just the way I am," she answered.

Danny hugged her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I think I can manage that."

**I never opened myself this way**

**Life is ours, we live it our way**

Danny pulled away from Sam and stood. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said, helping her to her feet, his arm sliding around her waist.

Slowly strolling along the strangely empty path, they listened to the birds in the trees and the distant laughter of children.

A short while later, Danny guided Sam over to the playground and coaxed her onto one of the swings. Moving behind her, Danny grabbed the chains of the swing and pulled back, releasing her into a gentle arc. As she swung back, he gave her a soft push, never sending her any higher than he had with the first arc.

Lost within the simple pleasure of the moment, Sam loosed a rolling, childish laugh that, she noticed, made Danny's smile grow all the wider. Continuing to swing for some time, Danny eventually joined on the swing next to hers.

About an hour passed before the two left the playground, heading to the Nasty Burger for lunch.

**All these words I don't just say**

**And nothing else matters**

"You know, I haven't heard a laugh like that come out of you since we were…seven, I think," Danny said as the two walked into the Nasty Burger. "You've been holding back something _that_ beautiful from me, Sam? I'm hurt. I thought you loved me."

Sam shoved Danny into a seat, sliding next to him. "You know that I do. It's just that…what have I had to laugh for in the last few years?" Lowering her voice, she added, "Not that long ago, I killed you in your parents' lab."

**Trust I seek, and I find in you**

**Every day for us, something new**

Sam left, returning moments later with a salad and a Mighty Meaty Cheesy Melt. Danny looked at her, noting with a smile, "Technically, you only killed half of me…or would it be half-killed me?" He shrugged, biting into his sandwich.

Sam smirked at him as she poured dressing over her salad. The two ate in silence, casting coy glances at each other over their food.

Danny had ordered a chocolate soy milkshake for them, and he dropped a pair of straws into the drink as he sat next to Sam, kissing her cheek lightly. The occasional look was thrown their way, but content to just be able to spend time and be together, the couple failed to even notice.

**Open mind for a different view**

**And nothing else matters**

Having just been placed into her bed by her invisible boyfriend, Sam snuggled into her pillows, motioning for him to sit next to her.

Returning the both the human and visible planes, Danny dropped down next to her, his fingers diving into her smooth raven locks.

"This whole day was like some sappy romance movie – we went to the park, played on the swings, had lunch, shared a milkshake…How come, Danny?"

"You know, I was thinking the same thing. I just…I thought that with all the money that you have, it would have been the little things, the ones that money can't buy, that would have meant the most to you. I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy…"

"I did enjoy today, Danny. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I was just curious." She leaned up, her lips meeting his softly. "I love you," she whispered softly as she pulled away.

"I love you, too," Danny said as he stood. "So, what are the plans for tomorrow?"

Sam smiled. "I don't care. Surprise me."

"That I will," he answered, taking to the dark skies, invisible once more.

**Never cared for what they say**

**Never cared for games they play**

**Never cared for what they do**

**Never cared for what they know**

**And I know**

**So close, no matter how far**

**Couldn't be much more from the heart**

**Forever trusting who we are**

**And nothing else matters**


End file.
